When You Left
by Ms.Scar17
Summary: Mar'i Grayson has been living in Gotham her whole life, with the Bat Family. She grew up a super powered half alien and half human hybrid. Now, as Nightstar, she helps fight crime in Gotham City, while fighting feelings for Robin (Damian Wayne). What could possibly go wrong? ( Now co-written with new author ShadowMell31)
1. Chapter 1

**Ch 1: Keeping Tabs**

I have come to a conclusion.

The universe HATES me. I seriously think my life is like a comic book sometimes. It never ceases to amaze me, the way I can get myself into completely messed up situations. No wonder I was banned from patrol.

First, let me tell you abut me and my life.

My name is Mar'i Grayson. I am 14 years old. I have black hair and blue eyes, when I am Mar'i Grayson. When I become Nightstar, then my eyes turn into the pupil less green eyes that I inherited from my mother. I am the daughter of Nightwing ( A.K.A. Robin#1, Richard ''Dick" John Grayson ), and Koriand'r ( Starfire, Kory Anders).

I live in Gotham City with Daddy, Uncle Jason, Uncle Tim, Damian, Alfred, and Gramps.

Being the only woman in the Wayne Manor gets kind of irritating. Especially when Damian and Tim are trying to kill each other, Jason and Gramps disagree, and Alfred tries to teach Daddy how to cook.

I think sometimes being with a bunch of men can make a woman immune to their stupidity. For example, when Lian Harper and I tried to teach Jai West how to be a gentleman on a date. I feel sorry for the poor girl that ends up with him.

Anyway, even though my family has their quirks, I love them all to death. Besides, they provide an excellent form of entertainment. Things went crashing and burning when my mom died. I sometimes like to look through her stuff just so that I can try to remember what she looked like.

If my father is busy, I sneak into his room and look through his old pictures from when he was a titan. That's where he met my aunt and uncles.

I remember the stories that Daddy would tell me about mom. How she crashed in Jump City,and was destroying everything. He says that when he first saw my mother, he thought that she was the most beautiful alien he had ever seen. From her flaming red hair, to her emerald green eyes, to her body, to her personality. Daddy really loved my mother.

I believe that their love went deeper than bodies and souls. Since my mother was a Tamaranian, her people believed that love was sacred and eternal.

You could tell that my parents upheld those morals.

Mom died before she could see my first smile, hear my first words, see me take my first steps, or shoot my first starbolt, go with me on my first flight. She died before I could even remember her face, hear her voice, see her smile, or remember what she felt and looked like.

When my mother died, my father went into a deep depression. Me, being only a few weeks old, had Alfred to take care of me. That still wasn't enough for a baby who had no mother. I missed hearing familiar voices. My father would lock himself in his room and cry for hours. He wouldn't sleep, eat, or even go on patrol. He was a mess emotionally, mentally, and physically. He had locked everyone out emotionally.

So when I was left in his care one night, I was wailing at the top of my lungs. He had been trying to shut me up for about an hour already. Daddy looked like he wanted to cry with me. After one hour and no prevail, he sat me down and started to rock me back and forth and hum a lullaby.

I was calming down because I felt his voice as a strong, soothing rumble from deep within his chest, which he was holding me against. I looked up and I saw him smiling down at me with a bright smile. His blue eyes were twinkling with love and happiness for the first time in months.

From that moment on I was a Daddy's girl to the extreme. My father, grandfather, and uncles were the ones that I trusted and loved the most. I grew up with a bunch of dysfunctional, overprotective, and overbearing, father figures in my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Dami and I always had the most complicated relationship. I've always sort of, maybe, kind of liked him. I did not see him as a family member. I mean, sure he can be stoic, know-it-all, serious, gramatically correct, socially retarded, and mean, but I was always nice and patient with him.

I helped him socially,artistically, and emotionally. I love him. He loves me. I became the first person he loved with all his heart and soul. Now, when he found me I was most likely going to be yelled at for being stupid, and dangerous, and completely selfish.

Now that I told you a little bit about my life, let me elaborate on my current predicament. It all started a few months ago, when everyone suspected that my mother was alive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch 2: Finally Free**

Most of the people who didn't know my grandfather would say that he was cold, intimidating, strictly business, etc, etc. That is not true in the slightest. I mean, yeah he can be cold at times, intimidating, he can mean strictly business at times, but that's only if you don't REALLY know him as Bruce. Behind the cowl.

As his granddaughter, and given the current situation I was in a few months ago, I would say that he cares A LOT.

You see, him and my father decided that it was in my best interest if I wasn't allowed to go patrolling. At all. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I wasn't even ALLOWED to look at the Batcomputer. I was only allowed to help Oracle, and lead the searches, and cases all from the inside.

I had been trained by the WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE after all. Also, my father worked sometime as a detective and officer in Bludhaven. Another thing that they taught me was how to fight WITHOUT using my powers. ( Which, btw, were all of my mother's powers). So, up to that point I really don't see why I wasn't allowed to fight.

I guess all the hacking and detective skills I picked up is so that I won't be COMPLETELY useless when I'm out of service. If they ever let me go out of the Wayne Manor. Well, anyway the real story begins the day that I somehow convinced them to let me set one toe out in Gotham.

* * *

So, there I was typing away on the Batcomputer. The crime traffic that night had not been much. A murder, a rape, stopped two drug dealers. The usual.

I hear my grandfather's batmobile enter the cave and then I hear him and Robin exit it.

" Hey Gramps!" I said.

" Hello, Mar'i" he said. Jesus, was he ALWAYS so FORMAL in the Batman costume?

" Hey, Little D" I said. Even though he's older than me.

" Why do you and your father insist on calling me by such a degrading name Grayson?" He narrowed his eyes at me and sniffed.

All hail prince Damian Al Ghul Wayne.

" Well, would you rather me call you Demon Spawn like Tim does?" I find it amusing the names that they toss at each other back and forth.

Damian narrows his eyes at me and says 'tt' and walks out of the cave.

What's new? He's always grumpy. He's like a wet kitten. One minute, he'll be calm, but then, he attacks you.

Anyway, Gramps comes up behind me and ruffles my hair. "Have you got a lead on the Jones Case?"

"No, I've been here for hours, but I keep on coming up with the same evidence. There's no real evidence of a murder scene, just the victim."

"Here, I'll take over, you should go upstairs though, your father said something about wanting to talk to you." He started typing away on the Batcomputer, leaving me to go upstairs to go talk to Daddy. Great. I wonder what happened this time.

After about forever and a day I finally make it to Daddy's room. ( If you lived in the manor you would do a lot of walking, besides I was too lazy to float).

When I walk in the door Daddy is still dressed in his Nightwing uniform and he's studying some evidence for another murder that took place just a few months ago. I can tell that he hasn't gotten sleep in 4 days. He has dark circles under his eyes, his hair is all messed up, his escrima sticks are all over the place. ( I should know because I almost broke my face when I came in.)

He looks up from his papers and gives me a tired smile. I go and I give him a hug. "You know, if your enemies won't kill you, then your OCD will."

Daddy just chuckles. "Well, I've done this before, so it's nothing new. I'm assuming that Bruce sent you up to talk to me."

"Yeah, he said that YOU wanted to talk to me. I hope it's finally about letting me patrol. Before you say no, I hope you realize that I am prepared for an argument. I practiced this in front of my mirror yesterday.

He sighs. "Starshine, you know why I can't let you patrol. One, you'd be a liability. If you came out, then I would be worrying about you the whole time and then I won't be able to focus. Two, you don't even have a costume, you can't be flying around the streets naked. Three, I just want you safe, you could be hurt or worse." He grabbed my face with his hands. " You know I can't lose you."

I sigh. "I know, but just listen. What if I didn't work alone? I could work with Lian, or Jai and Irey, or Jake, or Victor Jr, or anybody. Two, I already have a costume. Selina and Aunt Raven helped me make it. Yes, it has Kelvar and it's stretchy so that I could do my acrobatics. Three, I have SUPERPOWERS, I was trained by you and the Batman, and a bunch of other heroes. Four, I have good grades, you've never needed to punish me, I have never asked you for anything. I'm 14 years old Daddy, all my best friends are already fighting crime. So what if I'm the youngest one? I just want to prove to you that I can do it. I want to do what Mom used to do." I sighed

My mother was always a sore subject for the both of us." I really want to prove it to her somehow. I want to be Nightstar. The daughter of Nightwing and Starfire. Two of the greatest heroes out there. I want to uphold that legacy, and be known as her daughter."

Daddy looked at me for the longest time. Then, when before I made sure that he was still sane, he stood up and gave me a sad smile, then he stroked his thumb against my cheek. "You remind me so much of your mother. She was just as headstrong as you, and she stood up for what she believed in." He smiled. "I guess that I have no other choice than to let you go."

Inside I was pretty sure that I was about to explode, but outside I just beamed at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

He gave me a kiss on the top of the head. " You're welcome. But there are rules and conditions that I expect you to follow, and I can take away your mantle, when I deem it necessary."

" Yes Daddy, I understand."

"Good, now go to bed because in the morning we're going to go somewhere, and then you start patrol in the night."

"Okay, good night Daddy. You better get some sleep or, you'll have to face Alfred's wrath."

" Good night, Mar'i". He laughed.

As I walked to my room I looked at my costume. It was black, longsleeved and tight to the skin. It had a purple v going across the chest. The top cut off at my stomach. My bottoms were long, black and also tight to the skin. I had high-heeled boots, and black gloves.

I smiled to myself. After I did all my womanly needs, I changed into my pajamas and hit the sack. As a fell asleep I smiled.

For the first time in my life, I was finally free.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch 3: Family Outing**

The next morning when I woke up, I could already tell that it was going to be a very long day. That would be because Tim and Damian were already fighting. It wasn't even 8:00 in the morning.

Jesus Christ.

As much as I love my dysfunctional family, I wish they weren't so goddamn loud sometimes. I have super hearing, so everything sounds ten times louder to me. So, you can imagine my darling family already complaining, and arguing at the top of their lungs.

I guess I have to get my lazy ass out of bed. I walk over to the bathroom and grimace at my reflection. I look like shit this morning. I guess that's thanks to the few hours of sleep I got last night. I sigh and start brushing my teeth, after that I decide to take a quick shower, unlike all the males in this house, who take centuries to shower. (Why do they insist on using so much shampoo and conditioner? It's not like they have THAT much hair anyway.) Never understood that.

Anyway, after doing everything I need to do to wake myself up, I put on a black, buttoned, long sleeved shirt, with blue jeans, and black flats. I wear a pink bracelet on my arm, and pearl earrings.(I decided to go casual today).

When I walk into the kitchen, I almost turn myself around and climb back up the monstrosity of stairs. It looked like Uncle Wally had come into the kitchen and made a mess of everything.

There was flour, and pancake mix EVERYWHERE. Poor Alfred looked like he was going to die of a stroke. There were broken plates everywhere, and littered utensils.

Guess who was rolling on the floor about to kill each other? Tim and Damian.

Note to self: Unless I have a suicide wish, never eat breakfast when they are in the same room.

I sighed and tried not to look amused at what they were fighting about. The usual.

"I cannot believe that a human being, if you are even human, can be that ignorant, pathetic, and insolent as you are Drake." Damian spat. Tim shot him the death glare before coming up with a snide remark of his own.

"I can't believe that you haven't sent anyone to hell yet, Demon Spawn. Can't you just for once be normal?" I'm sorry but that's when I had to come in and say something.

"Normal? Is anyone in this family considered normal? We are a freak show, if anything we are all abnormal." Tim just raised an eyebrow at me and Damian said 'tt'.

After a few minutes of coaxing them, I managed to get them to go upstairs and take another shower, while Alfred and me cleaned up the mess that they had left behind.

"I am afraid that they will never get along, or learn how to cook" Alfred said. I chuckled. "Unless you actually want this house to burst into flames, then you should never let any one of us near a stove."

Alfred sighed and started to make bowls of cereal, while I helped set the table.

When everything was all set, Grandpa walks into the kitchen looking like he belonged in the Walking Dead. His hair was all messed up, and he was in his robe and slippers. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes were bloodshot. He walked pass me and got himself a cup of coffee.

"I take it that someone stayed up all night to finish the case?" I only got a grunt in response. Just when I was about to start eating Uncle Jason walks in.

"You're here, kid?" He asked

"Well, yeah since I maybe, might possibly live here. Though I'm not entirely sure." Uncle J just smiled at me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I love Uncle Jason. He is and forever will be the coolest uncle that ever lived. Since I was his only niece, he had a soft spot for me. I adored his 'fuck everyone' logic and attitude. He was always on my side, and trying to ease up Grandpa, and Daddy. He was only overprotective when it was necessary and it counted.

After Uncle Jason finished his breakfast, Daddy walk into the kitchen. For once, he finally looks well rested.

He walks in and gives me a kiss on the top if my head, then he gets himself coffee and starts going over the files for the case. Of course.

I should've known it was too good to be true.

About halfway through our meal, when Tim and Damian were showered, clean, and glaring daggers at each other, Grandpa clears his throat and we all look at him.

"I've been thinking about the amount of time that the family spends together, and I realized that it was not enough." Good god, grandpa. Where are you going with this?

"I got us all tickets to the Gotham Art Museum." I though about shoving my spoon down my throat. Daddy and Uncle Jason coughed on their coffee. Damian was throwing his knife up and down and catching it. Uncle Jason lit a cigarette and shrugged. I knew that it was going to be a VERY long day.

"Are you sure that's a good idea Grandpa? I mean it's bad enough the way that we act at home. But in public? I'm pretty sure all of us will end up in Arkham Asylum."

"We are going and that's final". He gave me a stern glare. I hated when he did that.

After about minutes of arguing and coaxing, he managed to get us all in the car at once without anyone killing each other.

'Well', I thought, 'Here we go'

* * *

I can't believe that we are all banned from the Gotham Art Museum! When we got home Grandpa just walked past all of us into the batcave. Probably to take his mind off of all the stuff that just happened.

It all started when we walked in...

* * *

"This is the stupid shit that we are wasting our time on seeing?" Uncle Jason said. He had lit a cigarette about ten minutes ago, even though the sign said no smoking, and all the people in the tour were glaring at us. The tour guide had the brain to tell him "Sir, smoking is not allowed."

After that Uncle Jason just gave him the finger, and told him to fuck off. I guess the guide gave up after that.

I walked up next to Damian who was regarding all the paintings like if he was an art critic. "TT, these paintings are amateur at best. Titus can probably draw or paint better than any of these imbeciles."

I just rolled my eyes and walked up to Tim, who was just texting someone. Probably Conor and Stephanie, telling them how bored he was, or how he was going to die alone, and with his darling family.

Daddy had a big grin on his face (like always) and was the only family member actually paying attention to what the hell was going on. Grandpa was just brooding like he always does, and probably regretting even buying the tickets to this damn place.

You see, the Gotham Art Museum was a high class museum. Only the people with money could actually get in. This is the museum where all the ACTUAL art was at, and the place just screamed expensive. All of the floors were marble, the ropes that separated the people from the paintings was velvet, and the lights were all dimmed and crap.

We had to change AGAIN, before we left the Manor. Anyway, about all of the very sophisticated people were on the tour, and my family liked to talk a lot. So, you can imagine how that actually went.

Every time one of us said something, the other people would either shush us, or give us heated glares and snap their heads back to the tour guide, who every time we would interrupt would say, "If the Waynes wish for me to continue."

Talk about pain in the ass. Halfway through the tour, when I say Uncle Jason smoking, Tim whispering into his phone, Damian 'tt'ing at every piece of art we passed, and Daddy taking forever and a day to look at every painting, I knew that we were in trouble.

"I am going to have to ask the Wayne family to please keep up with us, or we will kick all of you out of the museum. If there is something else that you people would rather do, then go do it somewhere else. Geez... what a rude family."

Jesus, what a rude tour guide. You would think that in a high class place like this they would have better employees.

"Guys!" I whisper-yelled " Come on! We're going to get in trouble" I said

"PFTT, who gives a fuck? I f you ask me that tour guide was a prick who acted like he had a stick up his ass." I tried my hardest not to grin at that.

"Jason! Language!" My dad said.

Uncle Jason rolled his eyes and went back to checking out the woman in front of us.

Damian gave a frustrated sigh. "When are we going to leave this pathetic excuse of an art museum? There are far more important things that we could be doing with our lives."

"Yeah, because going back to Manor is sooo much fun." I said

Damian glared at me. " I will stab you, Grayson."

Daddy sighed. "Can't you two just get along?"

"Maybe." I sighed. "Well it's not our faults that we're all irritated because the tour guide is going to bore us to death."

Grandpa looked about ready to leave."This was supposed to be a nice, normal, family outing. Of course, nothing can ever go as planned."

"Well, when you all get it through your thick, male skulls, you'll understand that the Wayne family is not capable of being normal, nor will we ever be normal."

Grandpa sighed. "I guess this is all my fault"

"Yep" Uncle Jason said.

Grandpa glared at him and before you knew it they were getting into an argument.

"Why don't you ever appreciate what I'm trying to do for you Jason?!"

"What is there to appreciate, being stuck with a bunch of high-society assholes that don't know the difference between Target and Walmart?!

Then before I could even blink Tim and Damian were fighting AGAIN.

"Umphh. Watch we're you're going Drake!"

"Hey! You bumped into me Demon Spawn"

"Maybe I would not have bumped into you, had you been paying attention. But, like always, your incompetence prohibits you from having an attention span longer than a goldfish." Damian spat. I could see both of their faces turning red in anger.

Daddy sighed, and we both turned around when we heard a cry of pain and glass shattering. Damian had punched Tim into the glass vase, that cost more than the universe.

There was blood coming out of Tim's nose and it looked like it was broken. Tim sprung up and tried to punch Damian back but he ducked and swept Tim's feet out from under him. Tim kicked Damian in the stomach and soon, they were both rolling on the floor about to murder each other. Uncle Jason and Grandpa were still yelling at each other.

I wanted to cry of humiliation, when Tim accidentally pulled the fire alarm and the sprinklers went off. Everyone stopped walking a while ago when they all started fighting, but pulling the fire alarm just takes the goddamn cake.

The security and security dogs ran in and we all had to run out of the museum, hop in the car, and haul ass.

* * *

After Grandpa went into the Batcave, Alfred took Damian and Tim into the infirmary to check for any injuries. I was not surprised when they were both sent into their rooms until patrol. Uncle Jason took off on his motorcycle a while ago, and Daddy said he had a headache and went upstairs, so I haven't seen him since.

I waited for awhile after dinner. It was the night I was going out on patrol for the first time.

I stood on the cave an hour later listening to Grandpa and Daddy bombard me with instructions.

" No distractions, remember your training, only use violence if necessary, stay linked to your comm, no horse-play, stay focused, use powers if necessary, call us if you need help."

At this rate if they kept on I was going to be dead, but not from being killed by going on patrol.

I sighed." Ok, I got this, relax. I'm going to be fine. You won't see a scratch on me when I get back."

Daddy gave me a nervous smile, and he touched my cheek. "You'll be going with Damian just to be safe."

Damian stood in the corner scowling, and crossing his arms, while tapping his foot impatiently.

"Okay. Bye Daddy, bye Grandpa. I'll see you guys later." I gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

Daddy kissed my forehead and Grandpa kissed my cheek. When we were exiting the batcave, Damian says" It is about time, Grayson."

I smiled to myself. Tonight, I wasn't Mar'i Grayson.

I was Nightwing and Starfire's daughter. I was Nightstar.


	4. Chapter 4: Maybe it was best

**Ch 4: Maybe It Was Best...**

I looked down at the city, the cars racing down the alleys, the pools of light spilling from the windows of nearby buildings casting shadows, darkening the already pitch black night. The wind was gliding through my hair, whispering secrets in my ears. It was magical, like walking for the first time or, or, or I can't even explain.

It was freedom, and I didn't want to let go. Not now, not ever. I scanned the rooftops looking for a sign of Damian, anything really. I caught sight of his cape, flitting as he ran. I'd never really realized how much of an advantage flying could give you.

I wanted to share that with Damian...I swooped down to face him, "Hey!" I called him over to the edge. He regarded me calmly and made his way over to me. "Grayson?" He questioned.

"No! It's Santa", my voice dripped with sarcasm. He managed to glare at me for a second and a half before he almost missed the jump to the next building.

He wobbled on the ledge for a minute and stumbled back. Now for the real reason I came down here, "Hey, Dami, have you ever been FLYING", I circled above his head, much like a vulture stalking its prey. "Grayson, WHAT ARE YOU ON?" He shook his head. I laughed evilly.

I rushed forward and past him. He knew he was dead meat. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is when Damian Wayne began to run. I soared downward and picked him up by his cape.

"GRAYSON, GRAYSON PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT", I dangled him over the side of the building and he grabbed onto my legs for dear life. And now, the fun begins...

We were flying over the docks. I was enjoying this as much as kid taken to an amusement park given candy and no supervision, I was ALIVE.

Damian? You ask...well let's say "not so much". He stopped struggling over 5 minutes ago and now he dangled by his cape with his arms crossed and his face carrying the deepest frown known to men. "You'll get wrinkles Damian", I teased. He grunted and continued frowning. Sigh.

We were passing over the East outskirts of the city now and everything was dark here. No lights shone, nothing moved, it was as silent as a tomb. I was just going to check it out for a minute and then leave. This was the bad part of town, the neighborhood your parents told you not to mess around in. You know the one.

I was heading back when I felt something. A vibe, a BAD vibe. It was pulsing in the air. I did a 360, nothing...The place was still silent, not even the birds dared make a sound. Then as if it came out of nowhere, a burst of light so bright it blinded me. I almost dropped Damian. He was slipping from me I couldn't hold him any longer. Slipping...slipping...gone. I reached out to grab him but he was too far away. "I SWEAR TO GOD, GRAYSON!" He yelled at me. I dove after him.

"MARI', MARI' can you hear me? A Warehouse has exploded in the Far East side of Gotham, go check it out with Damian but if things get too bad, run. I don't care if you think you can handle it. You can't. Come back home", Daddy's voice sounded through the intercom device he had given me in case of emergencies. The warehouse. People inside. Damian. The warehouse, people!

Damian, the warehouse, people.

Damianwarehousepeople...I caught him just in time. I gritted my teeth as I lifted him up. Warehouse, People... I turned to fly back to the warehouse when it happened.

It exploded into little bits and pieces. Each flying in a different direction, each piece reminding me of the people I might have saved. Lives. Wasted. Damian was yelling at me but it was incoherent. All that I could think about was saving the innocents that were inside that warehouse. I heard Daddy yelling at me through the comm, but my ears were ringing and I felt the heat flush to my face.

I felt some slight pressure on my waist, and I was struggling with whoever was holding me back. I felt a hand touching my hair and sweet nothings being spoken in my ear. Damian held me back for a long time, then I felt someone turn me around sharply.

Damian's face was red, and he was shaking in anger. His hand on my waist was shaking too.

On the way back home I rubbed the goosebumps off my arms. The lights didn't shine as bright as they once had, the wind didn't feel so good. I just wanted to go and forget tonight. However, a part said I should come back, I should patrol so that things like this wouldn't happen again.

Come, back and save more people to make up for tonight. Who am I kidding, I don't think anything could make up for tonight.

We made it inside the house and I went straight to the Batcave. The last time I saw Damian that day he was telling Tim that tonight wasn't a good night.

I slipped past the glass cases filled with trophies and newspapers and Batsuits, and went straight to the desk in the middle of it all. The bat computers beeped their presence at me, but I wasn't looking for them, I was looking for the tired, slumping figure behind them. Daddy.

He looked defeated, looked like he'd seen it all. He probably had through the computers. I came up behind the chair. "I'm sorry...", I whispered. He turned to face me, his eyes were sunken in and he looked old, so, so old. "It's ok, you made the right choice", He stood up and hugged me.

And all of a sudden I was Mar'i Grayson again. Little Mar'i Grayson who had no responsibilities. I hugged him back. "Do we know who it was?" He shook his head. I pulled back and sat down in the chair. "I'll help find whoever it was", Daddy smiled, but it was dull smile, an exhausted smile.

"I think it's best if we get some rest", He turned off the computers and walked near the stairs. "Are you coming?", He asked from the doorway. I sighed, and walked out with him. Maybe it was best...

Written by ShadowMell31 :)


	5. Chapter 5: Rules

**Ch 5: Rules**

While we were going up the stairs Daddy was giving me the inside scoop on the latest case that he was investigating. Anyone could tell that he was working hard because he had dark circles under his eyes and he was constantly bringing his hot mug of coffee up to his lips. He basically looked like he was trying his hardest not to drop dead of exhaustion.

Halfway up the steps, he stopped and paled. Daddy looked past me and grabbed the arm that I had wounded and I winced. I could see the concern in his eyes melt into anger.

" What is this?" He said in a level voice. " Nothing" I mumbled

" What is THIS?" " NOthing" I said.

"WHAT IS THIS?" He yelled. "NOTHING" I yelled back. He let go of my arm and took a very deep, and slow breath. " I'm going to count to three, and I want you to tell me what happened."

" Daddy, I'm not a... "

" One"

" Are you seriously going to..."

" Two"

I stayed silent and raised my eyebrow up at him.

" Three". We both stayed silent, staring at each other, daring the other to say a word to break the silence. After about a minute of this he yelled at me to just go while he pinched the bridge of his nose. I did not want to tempt his patience, these days with him staying up into the early hours of the morning, it was obvious that he was ill-tempered right now.

As I was walking to my room I hear Daddy mumble darkly, " I'll deal with you later". I really hauled ass after I heard that, my father can be threatening in a fit of anger. I heard movement above me, and I instantly went into attack mode. I narrow my eyes and look around, after shrugging I come face to face with an upside down Damian smirking at me in amusement.

After a second his smirk fades into concern, and it took me by surprise. Up to now Damian had not shown any emotion, never had I seen anything expressed in his dark, ocean blue eyes. I sigh and say " If you're here to laugh at my 'sheer stupidity', I really don't want to hear it right now Dami". I see his eyebrows furrow and he crosses his arms and says " Of course not Grayson, I was just confirming that you were not injured."

I smiled a Joker smile and I felt a strange heat coat the bottom of my stomach. I felt like cartwheeling all the way to my room and around the Manor. Not like I liked Damian.

I watched with amusement as the heat flushed to his face, from his neck, all the way up to his ears. He jumped down and stood up quickly as he tried to keep the serious look on his face. Damian shrugged and refused to look at me. After an uncomfortable silence he narrowed his eyes at me and said 'tt'. He shoved me gently and said " Now, leave Grayson. Before I stab you."

I smiled and tackled him into a hug, and the best part was that he didn't move, but he didn't wrap his arms around me. " Awww! Come on Dami, I know you won't stab me."

" Do not test my patience, you heathen." Damian turned sharply on his heel and went into the direction of his room blushing furiously. I laughed, shook my head and went to my room. When I got there, I saw that clothes had been placed on my bed, and a few painkillers, a glass of water, and some fresh bandages were waiting for me on the table next to my bed. After I had showered, I put on my clothes and sat down on my bed wrapping up my arm.

When I looked at it I frowned, noting that it was taking longer than usual for my Tamaranian healing factor to kick in. I sighed and decided to go wander around the Manor.

I stopped at the base of the batcave when I heard voices and realized that it was my father and Uncle Wally talking on the webcam." She wouldn't even tell me what had happened to her, she just denied everything." He sighed. " I thought she promised me she was going to be careful, now I'm wondering if I should even let her go out at all." Uncle Wally said " Oh. Come on, Dick. Give the kid a break, she's just starting. That was nothing compared to the trouble we got into when we were her age."

" I know Wally, it's just the fact that she didn't trust me enough to tell me what had happened to her that upset me." I felt a pang of hurt deep in my chest. So, my father thought that I didn't trust him? Didn't he know how much I loved him and trusted him? I only denied anything so that I wouldn't worry him anymore than he already was.

"Well, maybe the fact that you look like Death might have thrown her off a bit." I smiled at that comment and Daddy narrowed his eyes at Uncle Wally. " Don't forget that I can still kick your ass to China and back." Uncle Wally smiled cheekily and answered with a smug comment. " Nah, I doubt it. You're too slow for me." Daddy sighed and admitted defeat.

" Seriously Dick, you look like hell, take a shower, shave, and lay back and take it easy for a couple of days. You should really rest. Don't want you passing out of exhaustion again." I remember that day like it was yesterday. When I was four, there was a string of murders with no traces related to the killer. Daddy had been working for days and nights on end, refusing to rest or eat.

One day, he was at a meeting in Wayne Enterprises, and suddenly he just collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital, and all that I remember is sitting outside in the waiting room with Alfred, who was shockingly quiet, Uncle Jason, who was smoking in the waiting room, but had a somber face on, Tim, who was just looking down and probably thinking about the case that he was supposed to be working on. Just to take his mind off of the current predicament.

After waiting for several hours, no updates were made on his condition. Finally, one of the nurses called us in, and you know the rest of the story. Crying, hugging, kissing, promising to not do that again, and all that jazz.

I'm getting off topic.

"Ok, well I've got to go. I have to train Irey and Jai for a while. Maybe I'll stop by one of these days. See you, Dick."

"Bye, Wally."

I rushed out of the cave and flew to my room, knowing that my father would be angry if he saw me moving around the Manor. I heard his footsteps pass my door and he made his way to his room. Probably to shower, shave and sleep. Knowing Alfred, he already left food for him in his room. There was no doubt that tomorrow we would probably be having a serious discussion about safety and following the rules.

X'hal help me.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast I walk in to find my father sipping on a cup of coffee and reading some reports that he was working on before I had gotten home last night. When I walk in he doesn't even look up to give me his million-watt smile or a cheery "good morning, starshine".

He flips a page and gives a frustrated sigh. Fine. Alfred gives me a somber look as he puts a cereal bowl in front of me. As I look down at the disgraced cereal, I start to imagine what type of punishment is going to be in store for me.

After about a few minutes of the unbearable silence, Grandpa walk in and grunts an acknowledgement. Daddy just nods his head and goes back to working on his report. When Grandpa sits down at the breakfast table, him and Daddy are speaking to each other in hushed tones, and I can see them look in my direction a couple of times.

Damian, Tim, and Uncle Jason walk in, and they all glare at each other, especially Tim and Damian, before sitting down to begrudgingly eat their food. My father finally opens his mouth after about 10 minutes since the rest of our dysfunctional family joins us. " So, Mar'i..." Oh X'hal, he's already using my first name. He only does that when I'm in trouble.

" I've been thinking about last night, and I've decided that since you clearly injured yourself on your first patrol, you're not going to be patrolling alone." He says.

" What do you mean?" I said. " I mean that you're going to be part of a team. It consists of Red Hood, Robin, Impulse, Jai, Wasp, Shadow, and Victor Jr." Okay, the good part was that I was going to be working with all of my best friends.

Lian Harper, Daughter of Chesire and Arsenal. My "big sister" and the best friend that I can never live without. She has red hair, and green eyes. **(**** AN: I know that she has black hair but since there are different versions of her I'm using the one with red hair.) **She is an amazing martial artist and an even more amazing archer. She's never missed a target.

Irey West, Daughter of Flash and Jinx, twin sister of Jai West. **(**** AN: I love Flinx, so therefore I wanted to make her the mother, and I might change a few minor details of other characters, not enough to mess with the plot.)** Irey and Jai look a lot like each other, they both have their father's eyes , the only difference is the hair. Irey is a ginger and Jai has pitch black hair. I love both of them to death.

Wasp, Daughter of Cyborg and Bumblebee. She can fly and, she stings you with a rare energy that shoots out of her hands. Victor Jr. is her older brother, the oldest one in the group, and is like a big brother to all of us. He usually leads the missions through the computer, and hacks into security systems. He can fight though, but he chooses to stay behind the scenes, mostly when Oracle isn't around.

Then there's Shadow. Son of Changeling and Raven. He has white, pale skin and blonde hair. He inherited his hair from his father before his father gained his powers. He has his mother's eyes, and her powers. He's always calm, quiet, and collected. He's more amazing the more you get to know him. Though he rarely talks.

One part of me was excited that I would get to fight with all of best friends ( including Damian, though we're more like associates). But, I felt like I was going to be treated like the baby of the group, because I was the youngest and they're all overprotective.

I sighed and said fine. " Another thing is that you'll be staying in Gotham, not moving into the Tower. You'll be either flying or transported for missions. You must also, always keep your link on. I don't care what happens, I need us to stay in touch." He said. After he finished telling me this he gave me my training schedule and gave me a nod as a goodbye.

Great. What else could go wrong?


End file.
